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ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO, PIANIST KEITH JARRETT APPROACHED BASSIST GARY PEACOCK AND DRUMMER JACK DEJOHNETTE WITH AN IDEA. HIS PITCH? FORM A TRIO AND PLAY WITHOUT A LEADER. KEITH JARRETT.

Keith Jarrett: What about if we have the feeling of being a side man, that there's no leader. That nobody's saying use brushes, Jack, nobody's saying don't play in two, play in four. The only way to do that would be totally free playing or music we already know…

God Bless the Child up and hot

Keith Jarrett: And then when the CD came out and people said oh, “that arrangement of “God Bless the Child” is so great” and I'd say, “you know, that wasn't an arrangement.” I just started playing those octaves in the bass and the tape was running and nobody knew what we were playing and then I realized yeah, that's what that is. The principle in this trio has been the same from 1983 to 30 years later. Because it occurred to me that it's the side men that have the freedom.

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH 2014 JAZZ MASTER KEITH JARRETT WAS PRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

Excerpt of "God Bless the Child" composed by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. and performed by The Keith Jarrett Trio from the album, Standards, Vol. 1, used courtesy of ECM Records. Used by permission of Edward B. Marks Music Company c/o Carlin America Inc. [BMI]